Simone Arianne Biles was born on March 14, 1997 and is an American artistic gymnast. Biles is the three-time world all-around champion (2013–15), four-time United States national all-around champion (2013–16), three-time world floor champion (2013–15), two-time world balance beam champion (2014, 2015). Biles is the first African-American to be world all-around champion and the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles. Biles also holds the record for most gold medals won by a female gymnast in the history. She also is a Faithful Catholic who never misses Mass and prays the Rosary. Biles explained, “My mom, Nellie, got me a rosary at church. I don’t use it to pray before a competition. I’ll just pray normally to myself, but I have it there in case.” Biles was born in Ohio her mother was battling drug and alcohol abuse and therefore at three she was taken away from her mother. Her grandparents in Texas who adopted Biles and her younger sister. Biles calls her grandparents “mom and dad.” At the age of 6, Biles started gymnastics. Her mother told the Washington Post, “she always had loved bouncing on furniture in the house, so much so that her mother, Nellie, had grown weary of harping that the sofa and chairs weren’t a playground.” She trains at least 32 hours a week and is only 4'8. She is homeschooled to give her more time for training.

A suicide bomb attack has killed 70 people at a hospital in Quetta in south-west Pakistan. Nearly 120 others were injured at the entrance of an emergency department. The majority of casualties were lawyers and journalists with the body of Bilal Anwar Kasi. The Pakistani Taliban has taken responsibility. Please PRAY for peace...

Novena to St. DominicSay once a day for 9 days. Especially on the Feast of St. Dominic. O renowned champion of the faith of Christ, most holy saint Dominic, who didst renounce the honour and dignity of an earthly principality to embrace the poor, laborious, and mortified life which should distinguish a disciple of Him Who has said: "If any man will come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me."For Breaking News, Inspirational Stories, Novena Prayers, Mass Readings, and FREE Movies LIKE http://facebook.com/catholicnewsworld

O burning torch, who being thyself consumed with the fire of divine love, didst incessantly labour to enkindle that sacred flame in the hearts of others, look down upon me from that throne of glory where thou enjoyest the reward of all thy labours, and obtain that some sparks of that blessed fire may be lighted in my soul, to animate and encourage me under any crosses or trials with which it shall please the divine goodness to visit me. Thou, O great Saint, regardest as nothing all the afflictions thou didst endure, and all the toils thou didst undergo for the promotion of God's holy cause; obtain, I beseech Thee, that the same ardent love which strengthened thee, may make sweet to me labours, humiliations, disgraces, or whatever other mortifications I may have to suffer for the Name of Jesus. May I ever bear in mind that nothing can happen to me but by the particular dispensation of a God Who is infinitely wise, and therefore knows what is best for my welfare; infinitely powerful, and consequently able to effect it; and above all, infinitely merciful and loving, Who has laid down His life for my redemption, and continues daily to give new proofs of His love and bounty. O tender Father of the poor who, when all other resources were exhausted, didst offer thyself for their relief, obtain for me that true spirit of compassion for the suffering members of Jesus Christ, which shone forth so conspicuously in thy holy life. May I, by charity to those whom Jesus so dearly loves, lay up for myself treasures in heaven, where thou now enjoyest that which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, but which God has prepared for those who love Him, and who prove themselves His Disciples by the observance of His Divine precept "love one another." I praise and thank God for the high degree of sanctity to which He had raised thee, and the special privileges by which He has distinguished thee. I conjure thee, by that gratitude with which thou shalt for all eternity be penetrated for thy Divine Benefactor, implore for me the grace to root out of my heart whatever is not agreeable in His sight, especially that evil habit by which I most frequently offend Him.Obtain likewise the favours I request in this Novena, through thy powerful intercession. (Mention your intentions here) O glorious Mother of God, Queen of the most sacred Rosary, thou who didst love Dominic with the affection of a mother, and were most tenderly loved and honoured by him, look upon me, for his sake, with an eye of pity, deign to join with him in presenting these petitions to thy most Blessed Jesus. I sincerely desire from this moment to love Him with all my heart, and serve Him with all my strength, and now place myself under thy powerful protection, as a sure means of obtaining all the graces necessary to serve Him faithfully here, that I may eternally rejoice with Him hereafter. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Dominic, PriestLectionary: 413

Reading 1EZ 1:2-5, 24-28C

On the fifth day of the fourth month of the fifth year,that is, of King Jehoiachin’s exile,The word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel,the son of Buzi,in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar.—There the hand of the LORD came upon me.

As I looked, a stormwind came from the North,a huge cloud with flashing fire enveloped in brightness,from the midst of which (the midst of the fire)something gleamed like electrum.Within it were figures resembling four living creaturesthat looked like this: their form was human.

Then I heard the sound of their wings,like the roaring of mighty waters,like the voice of the Almighty.When they moved, the sound of the tumult was like the din of an army.And when they stood still, they lowered their wings.

Above the firmament over their headssomething like a throne could be seen,looking like sapphire.Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man.Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum;downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire;he was surrounded with splendor.Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy daywas the splendor that surrounded him.Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.

Responsorial PsalmPS 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.or:R. Alleluia.Praise the LORD from the heavens;praise him in the heights;Praise him, all you his angels;praise him, all you his hosts.R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.or:R. Alleluia.Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,the princes and all the judges of the earth,Young men too, and maidens,old men and boys,R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.or:R. Alleluia.Praise the name of the LORD,for his name alone is exalted;His majesty is above earth and heaven.R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.or:R. Alleluia.And he has lifted up the horn of his people.Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,from the children of Israel, the people close to him.Alleluia.R. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.or:R. Alleluia.

AlleluiaSEE 2 THES 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.God has called you through the Gospelto possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 17:22-27

As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,Jesus said to them,“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”And they were overwhelmed with grief.

When they came to Capernaum,the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,“Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?”“Yes,” he said.When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon?From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?From their subjects or from foreigners?”When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him,“Then the subjects are exempt.But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,and take the first fish that comes up.Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.Give that to them for me and for you.”

NOVENA THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF MARY MACKILLOP (St MARY of the CROSS)A novenea is a prayer repeated for nine consecutive days, or once a week for nine weeks. It can be prayed by individuals or groups. A Statement of Faith should precede the saying of the prayer each time. The following is an example of such a statement of faith: We believe in God’s everlasting love for all and through faith and great confidence in that love our petition will be granted. Therefore, in the desire to promote God’s greater honour and glory, we pray, through the intercession of St Mary of the Cross, for (insert intention) . The statement of faith is followed by this prayer: Most loving God, we thank you for the example of St Mary of the Cross, who, in her living of the gospel, witnessed to the human dignity of each person. She faced life’s challenges with faith and courage. We pray, through her intercession, for our need – (insert name)'s return to good health. We make this prayer through Jesus, the Lord. Amen.Say 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory BeFor Novena Prayers, Mass Readings, Breaking News, Inspirational Stories and FREE Movies LIKE http://facebook.com/catholicnewsworldFor a Beautiful Video on the Life of St. Mary : http://vimeo.com/27892164

ST. MARY MACKILLOP was born on January 15, 1842 and died on August 8, 1909. She is also known as St. Mary of the Cross. She founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart with Father Julian Tenison Woods. They focus on education for the poor. She was canonized on October 17, 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. (Image: SQPN.com) She is the first Australian Canonized Saint. Mary Helen MacKillop was born in Fitzroy, Victoria. Her parents lived in Roybridge, Inverness-Shire, Scotland before their emigration to Australia. Her father was Alexander MacKillop and her mother was Flora MacDonald. They arrived in Melbourn in 1840. They had eight children: Margaret, 1843–1872, John 1845–1867, Annie 1848–1929, Alexandrina 1850–1882, Donald 1853–1925, Alick died at 11 months and Peter 1857–1878. Mary was the eldest. Her brother Donald became a Jesuit priest and her sister Alexandrina a nun. She was educated in private schools and became a teacher. She went to Penola, in 1866, with her sisters Annie and Lexie to open a Catholic school. Fr. Woods was made director of education and was the founder, along with MacKillop, of a school they opened in a stable.

In 1867, MacKillop became Mother Superior of the new order Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. (Image Cultural Catholic.com) They moved to the convent in Adelaide. Since then her order has grown and she is famous among Australians for her work.

Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order; born at Calaroga, in Old Castile, c. 1170; died 6 August, 1221. His parents, Felix Guzman and Joanna of Aza, undoubtedly belonged to the nobility of Spain, though probably neither was connected with the reigning house of Castile, as some of the saint's biographers assert. Of Felix Guzman, personally, little is known, except that he was in every sense the worthy head of a family of saints. To nobility of blood Joanna of Aza added a nobility of soul which so enshrined her in the popular veneration that in 1828 she was solemnlybeatified by

Leo XII. The example of such parents was not without its effect upon their children. Not only Saint Dominic but also his brothers, Antonio and Manes, were distinguished for their extraordinary sanctity. Antonio, the eldest, became a secular priest and, having distributed his patrimony to the poor, entered a hospital where he spent his life ministering to the sick. Manes, following in the footsteps of Dominic, became a Friar Preacher, and was beatified by Gregory XVI. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Novena to Saint Cajetan Patron of the Unemployed. This Priest founded a bank to help the poor and offer an alternative to usurers (loan sharks). It later became the Bank of Naples. His concern for the unemployed, giving them the necessary financial help in their time of need, made him their patron. His feast is celebrated on August 7. Daily Prayer O glorious St. Cajetan, you studied to be a lawyer, but when you felt that the Lord was calling you to his service, you abandoned everything and became a priest. You excelled in virtues, shunning all material rewards for your labor, helping the many unemployed people of your time. You provided loans without interest and you attracted a lot of benefactors who donated to your resources so that you could go on with your activities. Look on us with mercy. We wish to find employment that could help us and our families live with dignity. Listen to our petitions, dear saint; you, who could easily give up the food on your table for the needy, bring our petitions to Jesus (here make your request). Amen.For Novena Prayers, Mass Readings, Breaking News, Inspirational Stories and FREE Movies LIKE http://facebook.com/catholicnewsworld First Day You were a model of virtue among the priests of your time, O St. Cajetan. You sought not to receive payments from your ministry, and you taught people how to pray the rosary and develop devotions to saints. You were truly a spiritual shepherd, and your concern was always focused on the salvation of souls. But despite this, you were also aware that with hungry stomachs, the faithful would have difficulty in understanding God’s Word. You embarked to help them, not just by giving them bread but helping them gain their living by work. Look on us with pity, O glorious saint. We have many unemployed people in our midst and their families go hungry. We ask you to guide the fathers and mothers who are looking for work. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.Second Day Despite your busy schedule, dear saint, you spent eight hours a day in prayer. Your happiness consists in being united with Jesus, to savor his presence in the Eucharist. Guide us to be like you by giving priority to prayer in our life. Enable us to savor Jesus’ presence and help us become contemplatives like you. Inspire us to understand that prayer is not just asking Jesus for our needs, but being with him, delighting in his presence. We ask you, dear saint, to lead us in this direction that we may learn to delight in Jesus’ presence. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. Third Day Since your death, dear St. Cajetan, the unemployed people of the world had sought your intercession. Work is the key to a happy life. Look with pity on the millions of people in our country who wake up each morning without certainty of finding food because they don’t have work. These people become victims of desperation and some even resort to crimes to survive. Help our government leaders formulate policies that will bring about employment. You who established a bank for the needy inspire our leaders to extend loans for the poor so that they may provide for the needs of their families. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. Fourth Day O glorious St. Cajetan, like the society where you lived, we are also beset by the same economic set up where the poor are becoming poorer and the rich, richer. You fasted so that the money you saved could be used to buy food for the poor, you did not accept any payment for your ministries because you wanted people to help the needy. You lived very frugally because you wanted to teach the rich about the need to share. Look with pity on our society where resources are wasted in buying useless goods, while the poor and the needy among us have not received the basic necessities. Inspire us to share that nobody among us would go hungry, and that everybody may live with dignity. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.Fifth Day O glorious St. Cajetan, you spent long hours helping the sick and worked yourself to exhaustion in helping victims of plagues which were frequent in your time. You cared for the sick not just to heal them, but to guide them to a happy death. You wanted their souls, not their bodies. Help us to understand that we have to prepare ourselves to a happy death. May we likewise see that the most terrible sickness is our sinfulness, and we always have to examine ourselves for the sins we commit daily. Inspire us to have repentant hearts that we may always be prepared to meet the Lord. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. Sixth Day O humble St. Cajetan, you spoke with rulers and kings, but you never gave them much importance. You know that prestige, honor, and positions in society could only be good if they are use to help the needy and the poor. For this reason, you also confronted tyrants and stood against armies that looted, killed, and raped. Your humility did not prevent you from becoming a prophet. You only feared Jesus. Help us to remain humble and self-effacing, knowing that before God, we remain nothing. We can only be someone if we stand close to Jesus. Inspire us to follow your footsteps so that we, too, may fight for justice and help stop corruption in our government. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. Seventh Day O glorious St. Cajetan, your unceasing fasting and penance help people understand that God must be loved above all things and above all persons. You sacrificed anything or anyone that could block you from loving God with your whole soul, mind, heart and body. By eating little, you showed to others that man does not live on bread alone. You renewed the faith of many people, touched their hearts, and helped much in the reformation of the Church. Inspire us to fast and do penance for our sins. Instill on us the spirit of sacrifice that we, too, may love God intensely as you did. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. Eight Day O glorious St. Cajetan, it pained you to see the Catholic Church divided into hostile groups. You always prayed for unity in the Church, asking laypersons, priests, and bishops to support the Pope through preaching, prayer, and sacrifices. You see the Church as the bride of Christ, the sacrament by which men and women can become holy. You worked hard for the return of the Protestants to the Catholic Church, and you preached against Protestant reformers who were attacking the heart of Catholic teachings. Teach us then to work for unity in our Church and at the same time, to defend her from sects and religious movements that attack her. Inspire us to follow your path. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us.Ninth Day O glorious St. Cajetan, you received many special blessings from Jesus, visions and mystical experiences because of your union with him. While contemplating the mystery of incarnation, Mary appeared to you and put on your lap the baby Jesus. You held on to the baby and made your heart his dwelling place. Jesus truly loved you and his Mother trusted you. Listen then to our petitions on this last day of our novena and bring them to Jesus. Prove to us that now in heaven you are closer to Jesus and he listens to you. Amen. Daily Prayer (3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be (3) St. Cajetan, pray for us. For all the unemployed -- even if you aren't Catholic -- I would encourage you to say this prayer for nine days.OUR FATHER Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. HAIL MARY Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. GLORY BE Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.